Automatic audible signaling on railways.



"0. 694,008. Patented Feb. 25, I902.

' J. GUODE.

AUTOMATIC AUDIBLE SIGNALING 0N RAILWAYS.

(Application filed Doc. 37, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

' -(No Model.)

No. 694,008. Patented-Feb. 25, I902. J. GO0DE.

AUTOMATIC AUDIBLE SIGNALING 0N RAILWAYS.

(Application filed Dec. 27,.1901.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

);/"TNE.$5.ES.' v I IVET mukuw 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GOODE, OF COLWALL, NEAR MALVERN, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TODENIS RIPLEYBROADBENT, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC AUDIB LE SIGNALING ON RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,008, dated February25, 1902. Application filed December 27, 1901. Serial No. 87,445. (Nomodel.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GOODE, engineer, a subject of His Majesty theKing of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at The Stone,

Oolwall, near Malvern, county of Hereford, England, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Automatic AudibleSignaling on Railways; and I do hereby declare the following to beafull,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to automatic audible signaling on railways, andis more especially intended for use in foggy Weather in substitution forthe ordinary detonators. It may, however, be employed at all times,either in place of or in addition to the usual visible signals orsemaphores.

According tothis invention two inclined or curved platesl(hereinaftertermed strikingplates) are arranged side by side close to or Within thefour-foot way and extending longitudinally thereof in such manner thatthey may be moved in a direction at right angles to the rails topredetermined positions by means of suitable connections controlled fromthe signal cabin and preferably operated from the usual weighted leverof the corresponding semaphore-signal. Each strikingplate should inclineupward from both ends to the center, and one striking-plate extendshigher than the other, both plates being preferable higher than therails. Dependent from some convenient part of the locomotive is a lever,(hereinafter termed the strikinglever,) at the lower end whereof ismounted an antifriction roller or wheel adapted to ride up one or otherof the inclined striking-plates aforesaid, according to their position,as the locomotive passes over them, the said striking-lever beingthereby movedto a greater or less extent, according as it is actuated bythe higher or bythe lower strikingplate. By means of suitableconnections the striking-lever is by its movement caused to open awhistle-valve when lifted by either of the striking-plates, the saidvalve being arranged to close automatically, as by a spring or weight orother suitable means. The whistleoperating mechanism comprises a lockingdevice, which only comes into action when the whistle valve is openedthrough the agency of one of the striking-plates and then keeps the saidvalve open until released by the driver, the said locking deviceremaining inoperative when the whistle-valve isopened through the agencyof the other strikingplate, so that in the latter case the whistle-Valve will close again immediately the striking-lever has left thestriking-plate. Two distinct whistle-signals are thus automaticallygiven, according as the higher or the lower striking plate is brought bythe signalman into position to make contact with the striking-leverviz.,a continuous blast,which may correspond to danger, and a short note,which may indicate line clear or caution. tion, then no note at all willbe sounded for line clear. I

I will now fully describe the invention and the manner of performing thesame, having reference to the annexed drawings, in which similar lettersrefer to corresponding parts in all the figures, and wherein- If theshort noteindicates cau- Figure 1 is an elevation show'ing clearly thegeneral arrangement of the invention. Fig. 2 is a View at right anglesto Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan showing the striking-plates arranged by theside of the four-foot way, and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are details.

a a are curved striking-plates, whereof one plate or extends higher thanthe other. These striking-plates are movable together at right angles tothe rails of the four-foot way along 7 suitable guides b by means of theconnectingrod 0, reciprocated through the lever d from the usualweighted lever d of the semaphoresignal.

Dependent from the locomotive-frame is the striking-lever 9, having atits lower end the antifriction roller or wheel e, which rides up one orother of the striking-plates aforesaid as it passes over them. By meansof the rods f g and lever h the striking-lever e actuates thesector-shaped lever-arm 2', Figs. t'an'd 5, which opens and closes thevalve of the whistle Z, Fig. 1. Bearing with slight'spring-pressure onthe periphery of the sector-shaped leverarm 2' is the dog or catch-boltm, which when the sector vlis moved upward to the full extent orreceives excess motion, owing to the striking-lever e riding over thehigher striking-plate a, shoots forward, as shown in Fig. 5, and locksthe sector t', so that it cannot descend again to close thewhistle-valve until the driver releases the catch m by pulling onthebuttonn. Whenthestriking-levererides over the lower striking-plateto, since it is then raised to a less extent, the sector '5 will not belifted sufficiently to clear the dog m, so that the latter will remaininoperative, and the sector will fall again to close the whistlevalve,either by the weight of its operating parts or by a spring, if needed,directly the striking-lever leaves the striking-plate a. The saidstriking-plates are so arranged that when the semaphore-signal is atdanger the higher plate a will be in position to contact with thestriking-lever, (see Fig. 2,) and thereby cause a continuous whistleblast, while when the semaphore indicates line clear or caution thelower striking-plate Ct will then be in position to contact with thesaid lever, and thus cause a short or abrupt whistle-note.

'In Fig. 6 there is shown a modified or alternative construction andarrangement of whistle-operating mechanism. In this arrangement thestriking-lever e when lifted by either of the striking-plates causes thelever o to bear on the end of the valve-spindle p of the whistle Z andto open the same against the pressure of the spring 9". Resting lightlyon the top of the lever 0 is the horizontal arm of a freely-pivoted dogor catch-lever t. When the striking-lever rides up thehigherstriking-plate a, the lever 0 receives excess motion and is movedsufliciently to clear the end of the said horizontal arm which thenthrough the action of the spring 3 drops behind the lever 0 and looks itagainst backward movement, thereby keeping the whistle-valve open untilthe dogt is released from the lever 0 by the driver pushing therelease-rod a, which terminates in a handle or button u, convenientlyarranged in the cab, and is returned to its normal position by the saidspring 3, or the dogt may be arranged to drop behind the lever 0 whenthe latter receives excess motion by its own weight, its horizontal armbeing made sufficientlyheavy. In this case the release-rod a would notbe connected with the vertical arm of the dog, but would terminate ashort distance therefrom, so as to permit the dog the play required.When the strikinglever is moved to the lesser extent by the lowerstriking-plate a, the lever 0 will not receive sufficient motion toclear the end of the horizontal arm of the dog 1, which will inconsequence remain inoperative, so that the whistle-valve will closeagain the moment the striking-lever leaves the lower striking-plate.

I do not confine or restrict myself to the precise construction andarrangement of the whistle-operating mechanism illustrated in thedrawings. Other suitable devices may be substituted, provided theyfulfil the couditions set forthviz., to cause tl1ewhistle= valve toremain open until closed by the driver when the striking-lever isactuated by one of the striking-plates and to give a short note on thewhistle when the other striking-plate raises the striking-lever.

Both striking-plates should be" above the level of the rails, so thatthe free end of the striking-lever may clear the rails at crossings andpoints. The striking-plates may also be arranged within the four-footway in lieu of at the side of the track, as illustrated in the drawings,the striking-lever e being conveniently arranged to suit thisdisposition of the striking-plates.

If desired, the semaphore-signals may be dispensed with and theinvention employed for signaling at all times.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates of America,

1. The improvements in or relating to an tomatic audible signaling onrailways, comprising inclined or curved striking-plates of differentheight arranged parallel with the track and movable at right anglesthereto by connections controlled from the signal-cabin, in combinationwith a lever dependent from the engine and adapted to be actuated by oneor other of the striking-plates according to their position, mechanismconnecting said lever with the whistle-valve, a device for locking saidmechanism against return movement when it has been actuated through theagency of one of the striking-plates, and means con trolled from theengine-cab for releasing said locking device by hand, the locking deviceremaininginoperative when the whistle-valve is opened through the agencyof the other striking-plate, substantially as described and for thepurpose set forth. 7

2. In apparatus or means for automatic audible signaling on railways,the combination with inclined or curved striking-plates of differentheight movable in a direction at right angles to the track byconnections controlled from the signal-cabin, of a striking lever dependent from the engine and adapted to be actuated by one or other ofthe striking=plates according to their position, mechanism connectingsaid lever with the whistle-valve, a catch or dog which, when broughtinto action by the excess motion transmitted to the whistleoperatingmechanism by means of the higher striking-plate, locks the saidmechanism in position to keep the whistle-valve open, and means forreleasing said catch or dog by hand, the catch or dog remaininginoperative when the lower striking-plate actuates the striking-lever,substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. In apparatus or means for automatic audible signaling on railways,the combination with inclined or curved striking-plates a ct ofdifferent height movable at right angles to the four-foot way byconnections controlled from the signal-cabin, of a striking-lever e694,008 Y is dependent from the engine and adapted to the sector-leveragainst return movement unbe actuated by one or other of the strikingtilreleased by the driver,substantia1ly as deplates according to theirposition, a sectorscribed and for the purpose set forth.

shaped lever t' actuating the whistle-valve, In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature 5 connections between said sector-lever and the inthe presence of two Witnesses.

striking-levere anda sprin -controlled catch i t or dog m bearing on theedge or periphery of v J GOODE said sector-lever c, which when thesector- Witnesses:

lever receives excess motion from the higher 7 HARRY S. CHARLESWORTH,

1o striking-plate a, shoots forward and locks GEORGE WILLIAMPLOWMAN.

